Plant killer



A ril 10, 1934. F. MCC. GIDDINGS PLANT KILLER Filed Aug. 2, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor p 1934- F. M c. GIDDINGS 1,954,698

PLANT KILLER Filed Aug. 2, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor [1 6d M 6 1664 8 6W5 flllorney Patented Apr. 10, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KILLER {jj Fred McClure Giddings, Galesburg, Ill.

Application August 2, 1933, Serial No. 683,391

PLANT 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in plant killers, and has for one of its important objects to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a device of this character comprising an incising instrument embodying a novel construction for cutting and scoring the roots of the plant being treated and depositing therein a killing agency in the form of a fluid from a valve controlled reservoir.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a plant killer of the character described embodying novel manually operable means for actuating the control valve.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a plant killer of the aforementioned character which will be simple in construction, strong, durable, highly efficient and reliable in use, light in weight, compact and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:-

Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of a plant killer constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a View in vertical section through the upper portion of the device.

Figure 3 is a view in horizontal section, taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view through the lower portion of the device.

Figure 5 is a detail view in side elevation of the incising instrument.

Figure 6 is a detail view in front elevation of the incising instrument.

Figure '7 is a detail view in horizontal section through the incising instrument, taken substantially on the line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a portion of one of the blades of the incising instrument, looking at the cutting edge of said blade.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises an elongated barrel 1 which constitutes a reservoir for the killing fluid. Threadedly mounted in the lower end of the barrel 1 is a closure 2 through which an integral guide 3 passes. Threadedly connected to the lower end of the guide 3 is an incising instrument which is designated generally by the reference numeral 4, said incising instrument being substantially in the form of a spear head.

The incising instrument 4 comprising a plurality of substantially radial, inclined blades 5, the cutting edges 6 of which converge to a point '7 at their lower ends. The upper portion of the instrument 4 has formed therein a valve seat 8 from which a passage 9 extends downwardly for discharging the fluid into the crotch formed by two of the blades 5. The passage 9 extends adjacent an inclined baiile plate 10 which is also integral with the upper portion of the instrument 4. The reference numeral 11 designates a guard blade which extends from the baffle plate 10 to a lower portion of the instrument 1 in a manner to protect the discharge end of the passage 9 against clogging. The cutting edges of the blades 5 and 11 have formed therein spaced scoring notches or recesses 12.

Mounted for reciprocation in the guide 3 is a stem 13 which terminates, at its lower end, in a substantially ball shaped Valve head 14 which is engageable on the seat 8 for controlling the discharge passage 9. In opposite sides, the stem 13 has formed longitudinally therein fluid channels 15. A coil spring 16 is mounted on the upper portion of the guide 3 in the barrel 1 and has its upper end anchored to the stem 13 for yieldingly urging the valve 14 toward the seat 8.

At its upper end, the barrel 1 terminates in an angularly extending filling neck 17 which is closed by a screw cap 18. Mounted vertically in the filling neck 17 and depending therefrom into the upper portion of the barrel 1 is a guide tube 19 through which a wire 20 passes. At its lower end,

the wire 20 is connected to the upper end of the stem 13, as illustrated to advantage in Figure 4 of the drawings.

At its upper end, the wire 20 is connected to the free end of a lever 21 which is mounted for swinging movement on a bracket 22 which, in turn, is fixed on the upper end portion of the barrel 1. The reference numeral 23 designates a hand lever which is mounted for swinging movement on an upper portion of the barrel 1 through the medium of a link 24. The link 24 is pivotally connected at one end, to the lower end of the hand lever 23, as at 25, and at its lower end to a bracket 26 which projects from the barrel 1. Suitable means, such as a rod 27 fixed on the upper end portion of the hand lever 23, operatively connects said hand lever to the lever 21. A stop 28 projects from the barrel 1 for engagement with the hand lever 23.

The closure cap 18 is secured against loss to the filling neck 17 by a chain 29. The reference numeral 30 designates a foot bracket which projects from the lower portion of the guide 3 to assist in driving the incising instrument 4 into the ground. V

Briefly, the operation of the device is as follows:

The cap 18 is removed and the killing fluid or medium is placed in the barrel 1 through the filling neck 1'7, after which the cap 18 is, of course, replaced. It will be noted that the valve 14 is normally seated. The instrument 4 is then driven downwardly through the plant in a manner to cut and score or abrade the roots, etc., thereof and the hand lever 23 is then swung toward the barrel 1 for opening the valve 14 against the tension of the spring 16. It will thus be seen that the killing fluid or medium will be effectively deposited by gravity in the cuts, scores or abrasions which have been previously made in the roots of the plant below the surface of the ground.

It is believed that the many advantages of a plant killer constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood, and although the preferred embodiment of the invention is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall Within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A plant killer of the class described comprising a barrel for the reception of a killing medium, an incising instrument mounted on the barrel for receiving the killing medium therefrom and introducing said killing medium into the plant, a valve for controlling the discharge of the killing medium from the barrel, a bracket mounted on the barrel, a lever pivotally mounted, at one end,

on the bracket, a wire operatively connecting the valve to the lever for actuation to open position thereby, resilient means yieldingly urging the valve towards closed position, a link mounted for swinging movement on the barrel, a hand lever pivotally mounted on the link, means connecting the hand lever to an intermediate portion of the first named lever for actuating said first named lever for shifting the valve to open position, and a stop mounted on the barrel and engageable with the hand lever.

2. A plant killer comprising a barrel for the reception of a killing medium, means on one end of the barrel for injecting the killing medium into the plant, a spring seated valve for controlling the discharge of the killing medium from the barrel, an angularly extending filling neck on the other end of the barrel, a lever mounted for swinging movement on the barrel, means operable in the barrel and extending through one of the walls of the filling neck for connecting the valve to the lever for actuation by said lever, and a hand lever pivotally mounted on the barrel and operatively connected to the first named lever for opening the valve.

3. A plant killer comprising a barrel for the reception of a killing medium, means on one end of the barrel for injecting the killing medium into the plant, a spring seated valve for controlling the discharge of the killing medium from the barrel, an angularly extending filling neck on the other end of the barrel, a closure for the filling neck, a guide tube extending vertically through the filling neck in alignment with the barrel, a bracket mounted on the barrel, a lever pivotally mounted, at one end, on the bracket, a wire connected, at one end, to the free end of the lever and at its other end to the valve, said wire passing through the guide tube into the barrel, a link pivotally mount-ed on the barrel, a hand lever pivotally mounted on the link, means connecting the hand lever to an intermediate portion of the first named lever for actuating the valve to open position, and a stop mounted on the barrel and engageable with the hand lever for limiting the movement of said hand lever in one direction.

4. A plant killer comprising a barrel for the reception of a killing medium, an incising instrument on the barrel for penetrating the plant, said incising instrument having a valve controlled passage therein for depositing the killing medium, said incising instrument including a plurality of substantially radial blades terminating in a point at one end, said incising instrument further including a guard blade extending adjacent the outlet end of the fluid passage.

5. A plant killer comprising a barrel for the reception of a killing medium, an incising instrument on the barrel for penetrating the plant, said incising instrument having a valve controlled passage therein for depositing the killing medium, said incising instrument including a plurality of substantially radial blades terminating in a point at one end, said incising instrument further including a guard blade extending adjacent the outlet end of the fluid passage, the cutting edges of the first and second named blades having scoring notches therein.

6. A plant killer comprising a barrel for the reception of a killing medium, and an incising instrument mounted on one end of the barrel for injecting the killing medium into the plant, said incising instrument including a plurality of substantially radial blades, the incising instrument having a fluid passage therein communicating, at its outlet end, with the crotch portion of a pair of the blades, a guard blade for the fluid passage between said pair of blades, the first and second named blades terminating in a point at one end and having spaced scoring notches in their cutting edges.

7. A plant killer comprising a barrel for the reception of a killing medium, a closure on one end of the barrel, an integral guide extending through the closure, a substantially spear-shaped incising instrument mounted on the guide for injecting the killing medium into the plant, said incising instrument having a fluid passage therein formed to provide a valve seat, a stem mounted for reciprocation in the guide, said stem having longitudinal channels therein for the passage of the killing medium, a substantially ball-shaped valve on one end of the stem engageable with the seat, a spring connected, at one end, to the guide and at its other end to the stem for yieldingly urging the valve toward the seat, and manually operable means mounted on the valve and connected to the stem for disengaging the valve from the seat.

8. A plant killer comprising a barrel for the reception of a killing medium, means on one end of the barrel for injecting the killing medium into the plant, a spring seated valve for controlling the discharge of the killing medium from the barrel, a lever mounted for swinging movement on the barrel, means operable in the barrel for connecting the valve to the lever for actuation of said lever, and a hand lever pivotally mounted on the barrel and operatively connected with the first mentioned lever operating the valve.

FRED MCCLURE GIDDINGS. 

